Glass Recycling

Broken glass is dangerous for recycling employees to handle because glass often breaks up in transport and can injure the employees who work in the recycling plant.

Wear and tear issues for recycling equipment and recycling trucks with glass recycling

Broken glass gets embedded into the moving parts of recycling conveyor belt and into the recycling truck which accelerates the wear and tear of the equipment.

Broken glass gets embedded into cereal boxes and cardboard which damages the paper recycling machinery, as well, when recycled paper is being processed.

Problems with finding a market/end user for recycled glass

Single stream recycling plants are having a problem with finding a market for the mixed color glass that is recycled.

Currently, it costs less to landfill glass than it costs to recycle glass even when you consider the weight of the glass. For this to change, both the markets for glass and the technology needs to change.

Glass Crusher

Regarding, the concept of the city collecting sorted glass separately at DPW and using a glass crusher, there would be high costs involved with such as an alternative, even if we could find an end user. A glass crusher would require a trained operator, and space for sorting/collecting glass and for operating the machinery. The machine is very loud when operated, which would be an issue with the surrounding neighborhoods.